


The background is only a secondary fixture.

by complicatednarry



Series: Awoken me. [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 22:24:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6489733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/complicatednarry/pseuds/complicatednarry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Harry’s stomach clenches with the excitement of being able to spend some quality time with Niall in such a secluded place.'</p>
<p>In which Harry and Niall are a year on in their relationship, totally in love and Harry's ready to take the next step. With a side of communication issues and a weekend away by the coast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The background is only a secondary fixture.

**Author's Note:**

> I just couldn't stop myself from writing more from this universe. I love their dynamic and I wanted to write more of their relationship where it is now. This one takes place a year after they meet. 
> 
> Honestly though, this whole thing was just an excuse for me to write a load of sap. It’s completely overindulgent. I texted my friend halfway through writing it just saying – they’re so in love with each other it’s horrible – and that’s probably all you need to know before you read it. 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Harry slowly wakes up from his long sleep a minute before he set his alarm. He always manages to do that somehow. He grabs his phone and turns it off so it doesn’t unnecessarily wake Niall sleeping beside him. The best thing about Harry’s internal body clock waking him up is that, this way he gets to wake Niall up himself. 

He turns onto his side to look at his boyfriend sleeping soundly next to him, eyes fluttering slightly and breathing even. Harry loves him so much. He’d never been in love before he met Niall. He thought he had. He thought he’d been in love with his girlfriend when he was eighteen and he thought he’d been in love with the model he dated when he was twenty and he even thought he might have been in love with Nick briefly. But none of that even compares to how he feels for Niall. His whole heart feels like it beats more heavily when he thinks about how much he loves him. 

He inches closer under the duvet and runs his hands down Niall’s side and wraps his arm around him. Niall stirs slightly when he kisses his forehead. 

‘Morning,’ Harry whispers. 

‘Morning,’ Niall croaks back. 

Harry crawls on top of him and slots his head under Niall’s chin. 

‘Sometimes I think you think you’re a lot smaller than you are,’ Niall chuckles as Harry tries to tuck himself into Niall. 

‘Shh, I’m getting comfortable.’

‘Oh you are, are you? What time do we have to leave?’ Niall asks. 

‘Shh,’ Harry says again as he starts to kiss Niall’s neck. 

‘Harry...’ 

‘Ugh, Niamh says she’d like us there late-afternoon so we have couple of hours yet so shush and let me kiss you.’

‘Babe, we haven’t even packed yet, and we need to eat and shower and—' 

Harry raises his head with a petulant look on his face that makes Niall laugh and kiss his pout away. 

‘We have plenty of time to have sex once we get there,’ Niall tells him. 

‘Hm, I’ll hold you to that,’ Harry replies clambering off him and making his way to the bathroom. 

‘I wouldn’t expect anything less,’ Niall calls back to him. 

****

‘So it’s just the four of us going now?’ Niall asks. 

Harry spends more time with Niamh than Niall does these days since both Niall and Niamh have both been able to give up their jobs at the pub now. Niamh working full time in fashion and Niall dedicating all his time to his art. 

‘Yeah Lily and Dan had to cancel,’ Harry explains as he folds up some shirts. 

For Niamh’s birthday this year she wanted to keep to lowkey with just some close friends. Her and her new boyfriend Jamie have been dating now for four months and so she suggested going away for a couple’s weekend. So as a birthday gift, her parents have rented her a small cottage near the coast for two nights. 

‘Do you know where my brown boots are?’ Niall asks. 

‘Yeah, they’re by the front door.’

‘No, my dark brown ones.’

‘Oh, no, they must be at your place,’ Harry tells him. 

‘Ugh, I thought I’d brought them to yours,’ Niall pulls a face. 

‘Well...if you’d move in with me,’ Harry sings, trying to keep his voice light. ‘All your stuff would be here all the time.’

Niall rolls his eyes and doesn’t reply and Harry looks down in disappointment. Again. Let the record show that he’s now asked Niall to live with him seven times and Niall has shot him down every time. The first time it was a jokey ask, the second time a passing comment but by the third, Harry felt that it was more of a serious suggestion. He’s not sure how Niall has somehow managed to always have a good declining response and easily change the subject. 

‘I guess I’ll just wear those ones then,’ Niall says. 

‘What?’

‘Those boots,’ Niall replies. ‘You okay?’ 

‘Yeah,’ Harry answers quietly. ‘We should get going soon.’

****

They stop at one of the services when they’re about half way and Harry goes in to buy them some coffees and crisps. 

‘Don’t let anyone say we don’t know how to do brunch,’ Niall jokes as Harry climbs back into the car, handing Niall a coffee and some prawn cocktail crisps. 

‘Here,’ Niall says as he grabs the other coffee in Harry’s hand to place it in the cup holder beside Niall’s so that Harry can shut the door. ‘Is it raining?’ 

‘A little.’

‘Your hair’s gone all fluffy,’ Niall says as he pushes a stray curl off Harry’s face and behind his ear. He goes lax under Niall’s touch, as always, as his hand travels under Harry’s chin and he leans over to fit their lips together. It starts off as just a peck but deepens quickly. 

Harry lets out a satisfied noise and wishes there wasn’t a steering wheel sitting between his legs. 

‘What was that for?’ Harry asks.

‘Just wanted to get a snog in before you eat those crisps and all you taste of is cheese and onion.’

‘Oi,’ Harry says laughing. 

‘Plus, you look kinda fit today.’

‘Kinda?’ Harry grins. 

‘Yeah.’ 

‘I love you.’

‘I love you too. Now let’s get back on the road, Niamh will kill us if we’re late.’

‘No she won’t. Her and Jamie will probably be taking advantage of the empty house before we get there. Christening every room.’

‘Well, thank you for that visual of my darling innocent Niamh,’ Niall says, making a face.

Harry laughs. ‘They’re obsessed with each other.’

‘More than us?’ 

‘I think they’d give us a run for our money.’

‘Well, I guess we’ll have to make extra effort to reclaim our title over the next three days.’

‘Oh yeah?’ 

‘Oh yeah, I’m gonna sit on your lap, feed you with my fork across the table, call you “baby” at the end of every sentence.’

Harry grins. ‘Sounds good to me.’

****

By the time they get there, it’s getting quite cold and Niamh ushers them in, quite clearly already a few glasses of wine into the evening. 

The house is gorgeous and their room has a great view of the sea and en-suite. Harry’s stomach clenches with the excitement of being able to spend some quality time with Niall in such a secluded place. Just the two of them. And Niamh, who Harry adores anyway, and has always been their biggest cheerleader. 

The evening goes well. Neither Harry or Niall have spent any significant amount of time with Jamie but Niall seems to be getting on well with him and he’s a tough critic when it comes to Niamh. He’s always been very protective. But the craic is mighty, as Niall would say, and it feels like they’ve all fully bonded.

The evening starts to wind down after the third bottle of red and Niall offers to clean up, insisting it’s Niamh’s birthday weekend and she’s not to lift a finger while she’s here and Jamie doesn’t let her protest before he’s whisking her upstairs. 

‘Hey you know tomorrow is our one year anniversary?’ Niall tells him, after they’ve cleared everything away and they’re lying on the sofa together, watching the last embers of the fire burn out. 

‘No it's not. We got together on the 1st of June.’

‘Yes but—Niamh's birthday is tomorrow and we met on Niamh's birthday last year.’

A small grin tugs at Harry's lips. He's usually the sentimental one in their relationship. 

‘Oh, yes. You mean the night you inappropriately propositioned poor little innocent me in my spare room?' he smirks. 

Niall rolls his eyes at him.

‘You were so mean to me.’

‘I was not!!’ Niall replies looking outraged before laughing. 

‘Niamh introduced us and you were so rude to me. And then you asked me not to speak while I drove you home,’ Harry teases.

‘Yeah, yeah. Alternatively known as the night I thought about what it would be like to have your legs around my shoulders and my tongue in your arse within seconds of spotting you across that bloody bar.'

Harry almost chokes on his own spit. Even a year, and plenty of that previously mentioned activity, down the road, Niall's explicitness still makes Harry feel a bit like a blushing virgin. 

‘You looked like you hated me when I offered to drive you home,' He replies. 

'Only because I fancied you so much. And I resented the fact I thought you'd never be interested in plain old me from your little fashionista posse.' 

Harry rolls his eyes. 'I fancied you too.'

'You did not!' 

'I did too!' Harry retaliates. 'It didn't take me very long to come knocking on your door did it?' 

Niall looks as if he's about to fight back but thinks against it. Harry knows what he was about to say. He was going to say that at that point Harry didn't even want Niall, and then Harry would tell Niall he did want him he just didn't know it yet. It's a little exchange they've had occasionally over the course of their relationship. Harry's sure that Niall knows he's only ever been the one for Harry. He just has a little wobble sometimes. After all, they didn't quite have the most organic start to their relationship. 

Before Niall can say anything more, Harry scoots up to kiss him. He tastes so good. Like wine and...Niall. 

'I love you,' Harry whispers into his mouth. 

'I love you too.' 

'Take me upstairs?' 

Harry follows Niall up the stairs, gripping his hand tightly, trying to focus on avoiding the creakiest stairs so as not to disturb Niamh and Jamie. 

As soon as they close their bedroom, he makes Niall lie down on the bed. 

‘I thought I was taking you to bed,’ Niall says amused. 

‘Oh, you are,’ Harry replies. ‘Just wanna get my mouth on you first.’

‘Well, come on then. Don’t just stand there talking about it.’

He pushes Niall’s shirt up and undoes his jeans and lifts his legs as he removes his boxers at the same time. 

He’s still only half hard and Harry grips him, knowing exactly what he needs to with his hands to get Niall biting his lip, smiling when Niall releases a breath and a noise comes from his throat. 

Kneeling down, he places his tongue directly under the head as always before swirling it round the top, revelling in it. 

‘Harry, please,’ Niall groans in a hushed tone and Harry tongues his slit, making Niall’s left knee jerk. 

He goes further down then and Niall’s hand flies into Harry’s hair as if on cue. He bobs his head for a minute or so before coming back up and allowing his tongue to dance around the tip again. 

‘Harr—y,’ Niall says pleadingly. ‘Harry, baby, you need to stop or I’ll come.’

He doesn’t want to pull off but he needs Niall’s cock inside him more and it’ll probably take him longer to get hard again than Harry’s willing to wait. 

‘You’re pretty good at that these days,’ Niall grins as Harry pulls off. 

‘Well, I had a good teacher,’ Harry teases making Niall laugh. 

He stands up and quickly removes his clothes before settling himself back on top of Niall. They kiss, hard and hungry for a while. 

‘Why is your shirt still on?’ Harry asks, breathless.

‘You never took it off me.’

‘Want your dick,’ Harry tells him while he pulls said shirt off Niall. 

‘Get the stuff from my bag.’

He makes like the wind to grab the lube and condoms before collapsing back into Niall’s arms. 

Niall flips them over so Harry’s on his back and he’s sitting between Harry’s legs. 

‘Lift your hips,’ Niall tells him while he drizzles lube all over his fingers. 

Niall fingers him open perfectly and Harry’s spread his legs wider like it’s second nature. Which he supposes it is at this point. Although, Harry hasn’t been fucked in a while. Niall probably prefers to bottom 65% of the time and Harry never complains about getting to make Niall come apart. But sometimes, he just needs it, needs Niall inside him and Niall always knows how to give it to him just right when he gets in that mood. 

Harry’s gut clenches as Niall’s fingers find that spot inside him and he can’t stop himself crying out. As he said, it’s been a little while since he had that sensation. 

‘Want me to make you come like this first?’ Niall asks but he shakes his head. 

‘No, no, no please, I can’t wait.’

‘Okay, okay baby, I got you, calm down.’

Harry can never stop himself getting wound up when he’s like this. He feels himself spiralling down but it’s always too overwhelming. Niall handles him perfectly though. 

He feels empty when Niall pulls his fingers out and he whimpers. 

Niall laughs and runs his fingertips over Harry’s soft stomach, knowing it settles him, while he grabs the condom with his right. 

He rips it open with teeth, his left hand not leaving Harry, and rolls it on. 

He pushes Harry’s left thigh back and it burns a little before Niall’s pushing into him and that’s all his mind can focus on. 

‘Fuck me.’

‘Gimme a second,’ Niall teases. 

‘No,’ Harry huffs but thankfully Niall starts moving properly then. 

‘Oh, fuck,’ Harry groans loudly. ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’

Niall laughs, not once faltering on his rhythm. ‘You’re so easy.’

‘Shut up.’

Niall stops a second and Harry wants to cry before he moves up slightly and it feels like he syncs them up perfectly. 

He drags his dick against Harry’s prostate effortlessly and he can only hold Niall responsible for having no control over the obscenities leaving his mouth. 

‘Faster,’ he manages to plead almost coherently and Niall takes instant action.

‘Oh – fuck – Niall, you’re so good, you’re so good to me, you’re so— ‘ 

Niall grunts and loses his rhythm a little. That, and the beads of sweat on his forehead being the only indication he’s affected by this. Harry doesn’t know how he does that. Even when Harry’s fucking him, Niall remains fairly in control. When Harry usually feels like he goes so far into his head that he momentarily leaves planet earth. 

Niall must be about to come because he quickly pushes up his weight so he can grab Harry’s dick and skim his thumb over the head which pushes Harry a lot closer to his own finish line and before he knows it, he’s arching his back and coming all over Niall’s hand. He’s barely finished spurting when Niall’s own hips stutter and he’s collapsing down onto Harry. 

They lie in the quiet for a few moments, their breathing matching up, before Niall lifts his head, kisses Harry on his chin and pulls out slowly before getting rid of the condom. 

He’s not alone for long before Niall’s back with a flannel, wiping Harry’s stomach tenderly and lying back on top of him, slotting his head between Harry’s neck and shoulder. 

‘Mm, you smell so good when you’ve just come. You’re so fucking gorgeous,’ Niall tells him and Harry preens feeling Niall’s tongue wet and hot on his neck, moving down to his chest. 

He reaches Harry’s abs and his stomach flutters when he knows what Niall has in mind. 

‘Turn over,’ Niall says, voice gone dark, confirming Harry’s suspicion. 

Harry uses all his effort and turns over onto his stomach, hissing when Niall wastes no time letting his fingers slip back down to Harry’s hole and circling the rim. 

‘Do you have any idea how perfect you are?’ Niall asks and Harry answers by spreading his legs a little more. 

‘You sore, baby?’

Harry nods. ‘A little.’

‘Is there anything I can do?’ 

Harry nods again and hears Niall chuckle behind him. 

He feels Niall part him and then Niall has tongue on him and he cries out. 

He laps at him gently a few times. ‘Does that feel better?’ 

‘Yes,’ Harry answers, feeling choked up and Niall kisses the bottom of his back before putting his mouth back against his hole, one hand tickling the tips of his fingers on the back of Harry’s thigh, using his other to anchor him. 

Niall rarely makes him come again like this, just enjoys making Harry feel good, because he’s the least selfish person in the world. 

Harry feels like he’s floating under water for a while, Niall pushing him further and further into a delicious abyss. He wants to squirm but feels too knocked out to move properly, just grips one edge of the bed with his hand until he feels Niall kiss each knob on his spine before reaching the back of his neck and pressing his chest against him. 

‘I love you,’ Niall whispers behind him. 

‘I love you too,’ Harry sighs. 

‘Sleep well,’ he hears Niall sounding far away even though he can feel his fingers running up and down his back and his hand brushing the hair away from his neck before pulling the covers around them. 

****

He wakes up the following morning feeling achey and well rested with no one in bed next to him. 

He pouts at the empty pillow and goes to make his way downstairs. He finds all three of them already up and chatting away in the kitchen. 

‘Well good morning sleeping beauty,’ Niamh greets him. 

Niall’s sitting at the table and looks up when he hears Niamh, meets Harry’s eyes and smiles. He has his glasses on and one of Harry’s t-shirts and looks so effortlessly good it knocks Harry a little. He gets up and pours him a cup of tea and brings it over to where Harry’s leaning against the counter. ‘Morning baby,’ he leans up to kiss him. 

‘Morning,’ Harry sighs. 

‘Ugh, can you two not go for round two right here in the kitchen, thanks,’ Jamie says teasingly as Niamh kicks him under the table looking like she’s biting back a laugh. 

‘What does that mean?’ Harry asks. 

‘He always that loud?’ Jamie asks, ignoring Harry and directing the question at Niall, who laughs. ‘Seriously, I expected to come down to a pile of complaints posted through the letterbox this morning from all the neighbours. 

Harry feels a heat rise onto his cheeks as Niall chuckles beside him and presses a kiss to his temple. Niall has always encouraged him to be loud, has always told him how sexy he finds it, and it’s made Harry utterly selfish in bed. Niall spoils him. He bites his lip and falls into Niall’s hold, burying his face in his neck. 

Niall chuckles lowly again at Harry’s embarrassment. ‘You were perfect,’ Niall whispers and a heat travels down his back at the compliment. 

Niamh laughs. ‘Oh, it’s really nothing. You should have heard him on new year’s eve. I think the entire hotel heard him that time.’

‘That does not make me feel better!!’ he exclaims and they all laugh at his expense making him pout. Which makes Niall run his thumb along Harry’s lower lip and pull him in for another kiss and in turn makes Jamie scoff again. 

‘Just because I’m better at satisfying my partner than you are, Jamie,’ Niall says. 

‘Oi!!’ Niamh yells, sitting up while Harry slurps his tea and laughs when Niamh gives him the finger. 

‘Anyway,’ she says rolling her eyes. ‘What would you boys like to do today?’

‘It’s your birthday, doll. We’ll do whatever you want to do,’ Niall tells her. 

‘Well, I was thinking we could go for a walk on the beach after breakfast and then have a late lunch at one of the pubs.’ 

‘Sounds perfect,’ Harry says and feels Niall’s hand squeeze his knee. He grins over at him, he can’t remember the last time he felt this happy and in sync with him. Despite the fact there’s still the whole moving in together thing, niggling at him under the surface. 

He entwines his fingers with Niall’s and squeezes back. He’ll wear him down eventually. Niall loves him, Niall will want to live with him. He will. 

****

The weather is bright but the wind is nippy. They walk all together for a while until Niall starts chasing Niamh, lifting her up and threatening to throw her into the sea. 

Jamie and Harry walk together and laugh when they hear Niamh’s shrieks from the shore. 

‘You okay, man?’ Jamie asks after a moment of silent walking. 

‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ Harry answers. 

‘I didn’t mean to upset you earlier, if I did. I was just taking the piss, I don’t care that you’re like, loud or whatever,’ he says awkwardly. 

‘Oh, no it’s fine. Don’t worry. It’s not that.’

‘Then what is it then?’

‘It’s nothing, just,’ Harry stalls but Jamie waits for him to carry on. ‘You know, it’s Niall’s and my one year anniversary today.’ 

‘Oh yeah? Congrats.’

‘Well, technically it’s the year anniversary of when we met but that’s pretty much when it feels like it started.’ 

‘That’s cool. You seem really good together.’ 

‘We are.’

‘So, why do you look like a kicked puppy?’

‘I’m just—I’m ready to take the next step.’

‘Which is?’

‘I want to live together.’

‘Ah,’ Jamie nods. 

‘He spends like, at least five nights a week at my place anyway, and I just wanna make it official you know? Like move all his stuff in and call it our place and just do it properly.’

‘Yeah, I get it. Seems like the two of you are ready. From an outsider’s perspective, anyway.’

‘We are!’ Harry agrees. 

‘So, what’s the problem?’ 

Harry sighs. ‘I’ve asked Niall like, six or seven times now and he always just makes it seem like I’m joking or quickly finds a way to change the subject without outright denying my question.’

‘Well, maybe he thinks you are joking and is scared to agree in case you go back on your word.’

‘Maybe,’ Harry’s not convinced. ‘I feel like I’ve given him plenty of opportunities.’

‘Well, perhaps you need to be more forthright and say – Niall we’ve been together for a long time now and I love you and I want us to live together, how do you feel about that? – there’s no way he can brush it off like that.’

‘Yeah,’ Harry knows he’s absolutely right but the prospect is scarier than he thought it would be. If Harry has to give him a forthright question, then Niall will have to give him a forthright answer and it might not be the one he’s hoping for.

****

‘Get a move on slow coaches, what are you doing?’ Niamh shouts from where she and Niall are standing, several metres in front of them. 

When they reach them Niall grins and pulls Harry into him, gasping when Harry’s cold nose touches his cheek. 

He grabs Harry’s hand and they start walking together, Jamie and Niamh a few steps ahead of them. 

Okay, no time like the present then.

‘Niall?’

‘Hm?’ he answers looking out towards the sea. 

‘Can you look at me for a sec?’

Niall turns round to meet his eye. ‘You okay?’

Harry takes a breath. ‘I want us to move in together.’

A small look of panic sweeps across Niall’s face and he feels his stomach contort unpleasantly. 

Niall sighs. ‘Harry…’

‘What is it?’

‘Right now, maybe just isn’t the best time.’

‘Why not?’

‘Well, things are a bit up in the air right now.’

‘Like what?’ It feels like Niall is making excuses with no substance to them. 

‘Well, my job for one,’ Niall answers, then muttering; ‘not to mention, my income.’

'Why don't you want to live with me?' He feels a lump in his throat now. 

'Baby, it's not that. Of course I want to live with you. I spend every possible moment I can with you don't I?' 

'Then why won't you move in with me?' 

'Because…' Niall releases a breath. 'Because, I cannot afford the rent you pay at your place Harry. I'm finally making money through just art and was able to quit the bar, which is my dream, you know it is, but it means I'm not exactly rolling in it at the moment.'

'You wouldn't have to pay...' Harry quickly tells him but Niall is already shaking his head. 'I already pay full rent and I can easily afford it. Then you could stop paying rent at yours and you'd be even better off.'

'No no, see that's what I was afraid of. I don't want to take your charity, Harry.’

‘Charity,’ Harry scoffs. ‘So basically, you’re choosing your pride over living with your boyfriend.’

‘No! Hey, don’t put words in my mouth.’

‘Come on, lovebirds! I’m starving,’ they hear Niamh shout and both turn to look at her motioning for them. 

Harry turns back to look at Niall in disappointment before making a move. 

Niall grabs his wrist. ‘Are we okay?’ 

‘It’s Niamh’s day. We can’t keep her waiting.’

‘I don’t want to spend the rest of the day knowing you’re angry with me.’

‘Well, I don’t want to not live with you anymore but apparently we don’t always get what we want,’ he knows he’s being petulant and probably overreacting but he doesn’t have the energy to be rational about this right now. 

‘Harry…’

‘We’ll talk about it later, Niamh’s waiting,’ he pulls his arm from Niall’s grip and walks on. 

***

Later in the day when they’re getting ready for the evening together and Niall’s in the shower, Harry’s sitting on the edge of the bed feeling guilty. He really shouldn’t have approached the subject the way he did, so abruptly. It wasn’t fair to either of them. 

Niall’s just finished rinsing the shampoo out of his hair when Harry sneaks in with him and creeps two arms around his torso from behind and presses his lips to the top of his back. 

‘I’m sorry,’ he whispers and that’s all it takes for Niall collapse into it and lean back against him.

‘I’m sorry too,’ Niall says turning around in Harry’s arms. ‘I’m so sorry your feelings were hurt.’

Harry feels a lump form in his throat and rests his forehead against Niall’s. 

‘It’s okay, I ambushed you, it wasn’t the right time. I should have handled it better.’

Niall waits a moment before leaning up and closing the gap between their lips. 

‘I love you,’ Niall breathes into his mouth. 

‘I love you too.’

‘I hate fighting with you.’

‘Me too,’ Harry replies quietly. 

‘Do you want me to do your hair?’ Niall asks. 

He nods. 

****

Later in the evening, Jamie cooks a steak for each of them and Harry starts to relax and enjoy the weekend again but he feels that Niall’s still tense and preoccupied next to him. He’s annoyed with himself, he should have waited until they were back home to bring it up. 

‘You okay, babe?’ Niamh asks Niall as they’re clearing up. 

‘Yeah, just tired. All that sea air, I guess.’

Harry hugs him from behind while he’s reaching over to grab one of the dirty dishes. 

‘Babe, I can’t do much like this,’ Niall tells him and Niamh giggles at them fondly.

‘Just can’t keep my hands off you,’ Harry says, trying hard to keep his voice playful. 

‘Harry, come on,’ he urges and Harry’s forced to let go of him. 

_He okay?_ Niamh mouths at Harry when Niall can’t see her and he nods, even though he knows she doesn’t believe him. 

****

Niall’s already lying under the covers, messing about on his phone when Harry comes out of bathroom. He pulls off his boxers and crawls under the covers with Niall. He prefers to sleep naked, if he can, and he knows Niall loves keeping him warm anyway. 

‘Are you okay?’ Harry whispers. 

Niall shrugs. ‘Still kinda feel like we didn’t resolve the fight earlier.’

Harry sighs unhappily but glad Niall’s finally said what’s on his mind. ‘It was crappy of me to bring it up the way I did. I think we need to have a proper conversation about it but I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like that.’

Niall turns his head and gives him a grateful smile, taking his hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing each of his knuckles individually. Harry’s stomach flips. Sometimes he cannot get over how far they have come. He just hopes they can keep moving forward at the same pace. 

‘Kiss me,’ Harry mutters, and as if Niall’s been given the green light, he pulls Harry down on top of him and then flips them back over in one fluid motion, settling between Harry’s open legs. 

They kiss hungrily for a while, Niall crowding over Harry, kissing him deeply and it’s so good Harry sometimes thinks he’d could get off just from this, if Niall gave him the chance. Still, Harry pushes his hips up against him which Niall knows means he’s getting restless. 

‘You still sore from last night?’ 

Harry shakes his head. ‘No,’ he says breathless, lips feeling swollen already. 

‘You sure? It had been a little while, babe.’

‘No, no I’m fine,’ Harry assures him. ‘Please?’

Niall answers with a quick peck to his lips and swiftly makes his way down Harry’s torso, hooking his legs over his shoulders and swallowing him down with no warning making Harry gasp. He grips the sheet as Niall’s tongue unrelentingly travels down the underside of his dick and he struggles to keep still. 

Harry whines and both of Niall’s hands instantly fly to each of Harry’s bunched up in the sheets. He quickly entwines both sets of their fingers and Harry squeezes tight. 

Niall pulls off, wet and loud and he tells Harry to turn over while he gets the lube. Harry lifts his hips, without instruction, the minute he hears the cap of bottle click and by the time Niall has two fingers inside him, rubbing at his prostate, Harry’s hips are jerking beyond control. 

‘You good?’

Harry nods and a heat pricks at his skin when he hears the crinkle of the condom and the wet sounds of Niall slicking himself up. 

When Niall presses in, Harry lets out a long sigh as if it’s the first time he’s properly relaxed all day and Niall chuckles. He doesn’t move straight away, just presses himself tight against Harry’s back and sucks a love bite between his shoulder blades. Harry wonders how many marks he’s had on that particular part of his body over the past year. 

Just as he’s starting to go mad in anticipation, Niall starts to move and Harry groans into the pillow pushing back against Niall. 

He turns his head to the side to take a deep breath in and bites his lip to stop himself from crying out and Niall obviously notices. ‘You feeling self-conscious, baby?’ 

‘A little,’ Harry admits breathlessly, whimpering as Niall subtly changes the angle. ‘Fuck.’

With no explanation, Niall pulls out and the emptiness overwhelms him but before, he can process what’s happening, he’s turned over onto his back and Niall’s pushing in again. 

‘Kiss me,’ Niall says, lowering his head and placing his elbows either side of Harry’s head encasing him in the way Harry loves. He grins, ‘I’ll swallow the noise.’ 

Harry laughs and connects their lips as Niall hitches up and finds his rhythm again. 

They kiss messily and loudly, making Harry’s toes curl. He scrapes his fingers along Niall’s biceps and wraps his legs tightly around him, his heels digging into the back of Niall’s thighs. Fuck, he will never get tired of this. 

His hands end up everywhere, making fingerprint dents all over Niall’s back and shoulders while he lets him breathe out moans into his mouth. 

‘Fuck, Harry, I love you so fucking much,’ Niall mutters. 

They part when Harry needs to creep his hand between their torsos. Niall drags his teeth down Harry's neck and he lets out a strangled moan when the sensations get too much for him. 

He sits up and pushes Harry’s thighs back further until they burn and fucks into him, holding his knees while Harry gets a hand on his dick. 

‘Fuck.’

Niall leans down to reconnect their lips for a moment. ‘You gonna come?’ 

‘Yesss…come with me,’ he begs and Niall sits up again. 

Niall gasps just seconds after Harry lets go. Their heavy breathing, loud in the room. 

After they clean up, they crawl back under the covers and Harry feels warm and sated lying alongside one another. 

After a moment, Niall moves closer and says ‘can we talk about earlier?’ 

Harry sighs. ‘I thought we said we’d wait til later.’

‘It is later,’ Niall says and lifts Harry’s arm so he can snuggle into him and kiss the tender skin under his armpit knowing it makes Harry squirm. Harry wonders where this sudden change of attitude has come from. 

‘Let’s do it,’ Niall says and Harry finally looks at him properly. 

‘Do what?’

‘You know what,’ Niall rolls his eyes. ‘Let’s move in together.’

‘No, no, you cannot make big life decisions just after you’ve come.’

‘That is not the reason,’ Niall insists and Harry raises an eyebrow. ‘Okay, maybe it’s part of the reason, but just think, if we lived together then we could do what we just did, all the time, at any time. I could even wake you up in the middle of the night and you’ll always be right next to me.’

Harry gives him a very unimpressed look and he laughs. 

‘I’m kidding. Sort of.’ 

Harry laughs and leans down to kiss him. 

‘Go to sleep.’

‘I’m serious, Harry.’

‘We’ll discuss it tomorrow then.’

‘Fine,’ Niall replies and sighs into Harry’s shoulder, letting sleep take over quickly, leaving Harry to mull over what Niall’s just said, his post-coital state long gone. 

He tries not to get his hopes up. They need to have a proper conversation about this and if he’s not careful he’ll say yes to anything Niall suggests. It’s not as if Niall’s concerns about moving together are totally ridiculous and Harry knows they need to go over them. 

****

The next morning, Harry wakes up before Niall and slips out of bed in search of some coffee. 

‘Ooh, a topless Styles first thing in the morning,’ he hears Niamh say behind him in the kitchen as he’s filling the kettle. ‘Well, isn’t this a post-birthday treat.’

‘All for you,’ Harry grins. ‘Tea?’

‘Please,’ she replies. ‘So, you okay?’

‘I’m good, you?’

She pauses. ‘Jamie told me what you and he talked about yesterday?’

He nods. 

‘Have you talked to him again yet?’

‘Briefly,’ he tells her. ‘It didn’t go well. But then he approached the subject again last night before we went to sleep, with a totally different opinion on the whole thing.’

She lets him carry on. 

‘It’s like yesterday afternoon he had these reasons why he didn’t want to, which I hate, but I understand them, you know?’ he waits for her to nod and continues. ‘But then last night it seemed like he’d done a complete one-eighty and just basically said “let’s go for it”.’

‘He loves you so much.’

‘I know he does.’

‘He’s just not great at compromise. And you know how he hates feeling pressured, sometimes he needs to come round to the idea of something by himself.’

Harry hums in agreement. That’s true. 

‘Not that I think he’s without fault, you both need to be a little better at communicating sometimes.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Just be patient with him. God knows he was patient enough with you while you were figuring all your stuff out.’

He knows she’s right. 

‘You guys will be fine,’ she assures him, reaching across the table and squeezes his hand. ‘You’re perfect together.’

He nods. ‘I’m gonna take a tea up for him,’ he says standing up and kissing the top of her head. ‘Thank you.’

****

They leave about midday, making plans for the four of them to go out for dinner next weekend. 

‘Do you want me to drop you off at yours?’ Harry asks when they’re nearing home. 

‘No, let’s go straight back to…..ours.’

Harry’s head darts to his left quickly to look at Niall who’s still staring out of the windscreen with an amused smile tugging at his lips. 

‘Eyes on the road, Styles.’

‘What are you saying?’ 

‘I’m saying what you wouldn’t let me say last night.’

‘Which is?’

‘I think we should live together.’

‘You do? Really?’

‘I do.’

‘But what about what you said yesterday? About the money…stuff,’ Harry feels awkward all of a sudden. 

‘Well, obviously it bothers me a little but you were right, it doesn’t make sense for me to be paying rent for a place I stay at only once or twice a week when we could be saving that money for a place of our own.’

Harry’s heart lurches. ‘A place of our own?’

‘Yeah, I mean, moving into yours is the best step for us to take right now until we can afford a house together.’

Harry’s hands grip the steering wheel tighter, trying to process the reality of what Niall’s saying. ‘You think about stuff like that?’ 

‘Well, yeah, don’t you?’

‘Of course, I do.’

‘I mean, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you,’ Niall says placing his hand on Harry’s thigh. 

‘Me too,’ Harry says feeling a bit choked, why do his emotions always fail him?

‘So what do you think?’

‘I think I really wanna fucking kiss you right now.’

Niall grins and squeezes his thigh. ‘You can kiss me in thirty miles.’

****

The flat feels different as soon as Harry walks in. Even though none of Niall’s stuff will be fully moved in for at least a few days, just knowing that it’s their flat now. 

They spend their evening curled up together on the couch with a takeaway. 

Harry turns in Niall’s arms and kisses his chin, nipping at his stubble. 

‘What you after?’ Niall asks amused, looking down at Harry in his arms. 

‘Will you have a bath with me?’

Niall hates baths. He doesn’t see the point of them, always saying that it’s a waste of time, people bathe to get clean, so why would you spend twenty minutes waiting for the bath to fill when you can shower twice over in that time. 

Harry on the other hand, big bath fan and always tries to get Niall to get in with him. After all, Harry’s bath is certainly big enough. Which was a major benefit to this flat when Harry was searching for places to live. 

Niall wrinkles his nose. 

‘Come on, please,’ Harry whines. ‘I know you hate baths, but you like naked me, don’t you?’

Niall scoffs but Harry knows he’s been persuaded. ‘Fine.’

‘When did I become this guy?’ Niall says a short while later. 

‘What guy?’ Harry asks, making ripples in the water between their bodies.

‘This,’ he uses both his hands to gesture towards the giant bath and then to the two of them sitting in the middle of it wrapped up and facing one another. ‘Me, being fucking ecstatic to spend a Sunday night in the bath with my boyfriend.’

He frowns and Niall carries on quickly. ‘I’m not saying it’s bad, just…this time eighteen months ago if you told me this is where I’d be, I just—I wouldn’t have believed it. Like, I just wanna be with you all the fucking time, and right now I don’t even care about getting my hand on your dick, I just wanna touch you and be near you.’

Harry bites his lip, a smile threatening to take over his entire face. 

‘I just—I really fucking love you, Harry. And it’s a big deal.’

‘I love you too,’ Harry replies, placing his hands gently either side of Niall’s face and pulling him in for a kiss. 

They stay there, sharing kisses and muttering things into each other’s mouths until the water goes cold around them. 

Niall dries Harry’s hair for him, knowing he’s far too sleepy to do it himself and they clamber into bed together. _Their bed_ , Harry thinks, grinning to himself. 

Harry’s just got comfy when Niall tugs him over and he lets himself be pulled close, falling against him and pressing his face into Niall’s neck. 

‘Night roomie,’ Niall mutters, combing his fingers through Harry’s soft, warm curls and tangling their feet together. 

Harry sighs, feeling like in that moment everything is right. ‘Goodnight.’

**Author's Note:**

> FYI – the bath scene right at the end was inspired by the bath scene in the new Mr. Burberry advert, so you can watch that and understand how disgusting and cheesy that scene is supposed to be. (and how big the bath in Harry’s flat is supposed to be.)
> 
> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed :)


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